I was checking to see if anyone explained those references before I chimed in. 😊 I said, "Oh, sweetie" when she said "Silence of the Lambs reference?" I always thought Mills should have said "A Twinkie made me do it" (assassination of Harvey Milk) since that was one of the stupidest defense arguments...
Just a quick fyi, Mills's remark "Jodi Foster made me do it." is not a reference to Silence of the Lambs. It's actually a reference to the real life assassination attempt on Ronald Regan by John Hinckley Jr. in 1981. Hinckley claimed he was trying to impress Jodi Foster whom he was obsessed with.
15:51 No, the _"Jodie Foster made me do it"_ line is a reference to John Hinckley attempting to take out Ronald Reagan to impress Jodie Foster after he obsessed over her after watching her in _Taxi Driver_ 17 times in the theater. You need to react to that film! And _"the dog made me do it"_ line is a reference to serial killer David Berkowitz ("Son of Sam") who hallucinated that Sam (his neighbor's dog) was telling him to commit murders.
Note: This was possible because the internet didn’t really exist the way it does now. All they had to do was keep him out of the commercial and off the poster. There was no IMDb listing or similar to circumvent.
It really was not such a big deal because nobody outside oh Hollywood really knew who Spacey was at the time. Se7en was released in September of 1995.....The Usual Suspects was only released a month before and while a box office success for a small film, it was not a massive blockbuster hit. Other than The Usual Suspects, the only other role of note he had was in Glengarry Glen Ross three years earlier....and earlier in 1995 he was 4th billed in the silly "Outbreak". It would not have mattered if they included him, because all the publicity of this film was focused on Pitt who had just become a major star the year before and this was his first outing as a newly minted superstar and everyone wanted to so how bankable he was and how he would team up with Morgan Freeman. Also the tabloid press was having a field day lapping up the Pitt/Paltrow relationship which sprung up during filming.
I saw this in the theaters in 1995, in a fairly rundown cinema in a bad part of town. The weather outside matched the movie. The smell outside - overripe garbage - matched the movie as I went in and also as I came out. The cinema was packed for a 2pm showing and when the film ended, about 200 people all stood up in DEAD SILENCE and shuffled out of the theater, not making eye contact with anyone. We all felt like we had seen something we weren't supposed to, like we'd just emerged from the brothel that you glimpse in the movie and don't want to be seen exiting the theater. When i stepped out into the street, it was hot and humid and raining and the street was filthy and it stank and the entire city felt rotten to the core and I felt like I was literally trapped in the movie I had just watched. It was one of the most surreal and visceral moments of my life when it comes to cinema and reality blending together. Nobody guessed the ending of course because SE7EN broke the mould and invented a whole new one at the same time. Prior to this, serial killer films and cop films were cheesy and designed as buddy cop action fests. Sometimes they were thrillers, but they all ended the same way with the cops chasing the killer down in the end and arriving in the nick of time to save the victim. Even SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, which subverted that formula, still had elements of it. SE7EN just threw all of it out the window, it was arguably one of the first studio-films in history that embraced the idea that it was going to be a "feel bad" film. SILENCE OF THE LAMBS introduced the idea of the downbeat, horror-crossover, thriller but SE7EN perfected it. It is arguable, I think, that every single serial killer movie post SE7EN and every true crime film, show, even the aesthetics of books and art, are all influenced by SE7EN. Nothing had ever come before that looked like this, felt like this and had the guts to do what it did to its audience. The 90s, arguably, invented subversive studio cinema that was then turned into a mainstream thing by the 2000s. Also no, it's 9 circles of Hell. Not 7. But there are several "7" motifs throughout the film, many of them designed only to register to the unconscious part of the viewer's mind (e.g. the scene where Mill and Somerset walk down the street in the opening...all the building numbers start with 7).
Woah thanks for writing! This felt absolutely dreadful (in a good way) 😂 i can’t imagine seeing it for the first time in 95!! It was just so so grim i was in a funk for dayssssss
One of the first films I remember seeing and thinking "Yup, that's how it would end in real life" No happy Hollywood ending with Mills being the "bigger man". This was so real and amazing.
Movies like this don't come along every day...not even every year. I was 22 years old when this movie opened in September 1995. I was working a retail job at the time, and I decided to kill a few hours before my shift started with the first showing of another predictable serial killer movie. WOAH. I was NOT prepared, to say the least. As Mills and Somerset are escorting John Doe across the field under the power lines, I was cowering in my seat, simultaneously shaking with fear and giggling with anticipation. When the movie ended, I couldn't move. The credits finished and the lights came up and I STILL couldn't move. To this day, I have never had a more memorable movie theater experience in my life. David Fincher will always be one of my favorite filmmakers, due in no small part to this film.
Almost 4 months, that's how long it took me to rent a copy of this on VHS when it got released in the 90's. Weekend after weekend I would visit all the video shops in town to find it. I even skipped school to try and find it. It felt like I was never going to see it. It was almost this adventure I went on to try and find this movie. Everyone at school couldn't stop talking about it. When I eventually found a copy one Sunday morning, it absolutely blew me away. It was one of the darkest and most stunning movies I have ever seen. I think I saw it about 3 times that day. It made that search and waiting so worth it. Streaming has killed the magic in finding movies like this. Now the whole world can just stream it the moment it's available and start forgetting it because of the unlimited amount of available content. Streaming killed magic and fun.
No... "Jodie Foster made me do it" is in reference to John Hinckley Jr shooting Ronald Regan. He claimed he did it to impress Jodie Foster. Also... it's 9 circles of Hell... not 7.
The Jodie Foster comment wasn't a reference to 'Silence of the Lambs'. It was a reference to John Hinckley and the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan.
He was released from prison years ago and has done interviews and has done internet things for years.Hes a wacko,yet somehow,you want to listen to him😮
Another backstory of Hinckley...Now this is odd and wierd...The investigation after his assassination attempt on Reagan revealed that he was talking to Jodie Foster alot of times.Jodie Foster was young and naive and to this day she doesn't talk about it.She was cleared by the Secret Service about having any involvement with the Reagan assassination attempt.
There are two phrases I love from this movie, one being when R. Lee Ermey grabs a ringing phone only to complain "This isn't even my desk." The other is when Pitt as David Mills refers to "the Marquis de Shar-day" and Freeman as Somerset corrects him. Freeman got a chuckle out of that. When Mills mentions Jodie Foster, he's referring to John Hinckley, the guy who tried to assassinate President Reagan, because evidently, he believed that killing Reagan would somehow make an impression on Foster. I have always wondered if The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en took place in the same universe, and I enjoyed imagining a new movie called Starling and Somerset, starring Foster and Freeman as their respective detectives, working together for some reason -- but I couldn't even begin to imagine a case crazy enough to necessitate that.
i saw this one in the theater with a couple of friends and it rattled us all so dang hard. we could barely look at each other for a few days. couldn't explain it to you why even now. also, gone girl AND zodiac are both fantastic, would love to see your reactions to both!
Kevin Spacey asked Fincher not to put his name in the opening credits, because you see so much of the film before hes onscreen. He figured if they see me on the credits but not see me at all, they will realize im the killer
Kevin Spacey was almost kicked from the movie, because he insisted that hes name wasn´t in any promotional posters or open credits because it would spoil the ending. He also said this was hes favorite movie, because he got to act such a great actors as Freeman and Pitt. He praised Pitts acting especially at the end.
One of my favorite movies of all time. So many subtle character moments that make this really dense. The wine glass, "Serpico needs to go to work", Mills forgetting the name of the officer that died in his raid story, the opening shot how Sommerset just strolls down the street and Mills has to dodge people to keep up with him. So many more. Brilliant movie.
@@Chrisratata Somerset's reaction is, as I see it, sadness. Mills represents, in a lot of ways, what Somerset is so disgusted by. It's the apathy and the priorities he doesn't approve of. And Mills wants to be the hero, someone self sacrificing and brave, but doesn't have the reverence for someone else that sacrificed everything.
Fincher's masterpiece of dank dystopia and man's inhumanity towards man. The DynamicDuo of Freeman & Pitt is worth the price of admission alone. And yes Sloth was alive (and the make-up was by none-other-than Rob Bottin who did THE THING!). That Hemingway quote stinger still stands.
This movie is, without hyperbole, a masterpiece. Fun Fact: Kevin Spacey is not listed in the opening credits because it would better serve the film's marketing and intrigue to keep the John Doe character a secret. This was Spacey's idea.
It was also partly because Spacey's previous roles were drastically different to this, though I think he'd done The Usual Suspects well before this one. But yes, he did point out that people would probably figure it was the third name on the billing if they only saw Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman in the poster and promos.
They always talk about the seven deadly sins. But everyone always forgets the seven heavenly virtues. Humility, Charity, Chasity, Gratitude, Temperance, Patience and Diligence.
The sharp contrast comes from this being one of the first features to employ he 'bleach bypass' photochemical process. It leaves the silver nitrate on the film which gives it a rich, deep contrast in the blacks. Cinematographer Darius Khondji was a master of the technique, and after this movie the look was blindly ripped off by countless movies and music videos. And, of course, Fincher's exquisitely precise framing has made him one of the greatest directors of his generation.
When I saw this in the theater, after it was over nobody said anything. Everyone just walked out in silence, just disturbed by it. I’ve never experienced anything like that again.
I was 15 when this movie came out and I still can't believe my very religious parents let us watch it. 🤣 The lines at the end, "What's in the box? What's in the box?" and the way the said it...that'll always stick with me, as I'm sure it has many, many other viewers.
23:21 - its not your sound being loud. The gunshots in that moment are unique, recorded and mixed to be as loud and realistic as possible. 99% of all films don't recreate gunshots to mimic reality, they suppress them in the mix to fit the audience's needs. In this instant, they wanted the gunshot to be as close to reality as possible. Another film that does this, of course, is HEAT.
Alright, Shan. Essay time! 😂Lengthy read but fascinating analysis of the film's themes. Trust me, it's good: Apathy is the biggest theme of the movie. Many discussions within the film allude to it. Aside from the obvious apathy speech Somerset (Morgan Freeman) gives to Mills (Brad Pitt) in the bar (28:02-28:44), but also when Somerset explains how the first thing women are taught in rape prevention class is to not yell "help" (14:02) cuz no one responds to "help" (everyone is more concerned about their own safety than to assist a total stranger). So, women must instead yell "fire", as Somerset put it _"in a big city, minding your own business is a science"._ People in big cities are apathetic to any one stranger's individual suffering, but a fire can spread to multiple buildings which affects everyone, which is why people respond to "fire". People only care about fire cuz the fire could affect THEM. DETECTIVE SOMERSET: Throughout the film, Somerset repeatedly mentions how much he hates the city. All his years on the force has caused him to be cynical, jaded and apathetic. Particular examples: 1.) In the first act of the movie, Somerset mentions how he wants to retire asap and go live on a farm (9:24) far away from the real world and its ugliness. 2.) Another example: Somerset is pessimistic about whether the case will ever be solved, saying their investigation is merely procedural, saying to Mills _"We're just picking up the pieces. Collecting all the evidence. Filing it away on the off-chance it will ever be needed in the courtroom."_ He equates the futility and hopelessness of it all to _"picking up diamonds on a deserted island, saving them in case we get rescued"_ (it was the scene of them waiting on the couch before they fell asleep @16:02). 3.) Another example of his apathy: All the noise, police sirens, screaming and crime that he hears outside his apartment window keeps him up at night, which is why he uses a metronome to drown out the noise (4:06-4:12). He has become apathetic to the crime going on JUST OUTSIDE his window. The metronome is symbolism for Somerset's APATHY. But as the case goes on, his apathy begins to erode little by little as he starts to care about the world again and about justice. For example, after the shootout upon arriving at John Doe's apartment, Mills just wants to kick in the door and begin collecting evidence (24:31-24:46). But Somerset reminds him that they have no probable cause to enter the apartment, saying _"If we leave a hole like this, we won't be able to prosecute. The guy will walk. Is that what you want?"_ Somerset is passionate to not let Joe Doe slip through the hands of the justice system, meaning his apathy is starting to erode and he's beginning to care again. Also, note, right after Mills denounces Somerset's apathy speech (28:24), Somerset goes home that night and destroys the metronome (right before the knife throwing scene @29:00). Mills's words really affected him causing Somerset to care again, which is why he destroyed the metronome (i.e. his apathy). And by the end of the film, his arc is complete (apathetic to sympathetic). His end quote (37:47): _"Ernest Hemingway once wrote 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part."_ The world is a terrible place but it's still worth fighting for. JOHN DOE AND THE PUBLIC'S APATHY: John Doe's words during the car ride (in his rant about the sinners from 32:51-33:03) _"Only in a world this bad can we say these were innocent people. We see a deadly sin on every street corner and we tolerate it. We tolerate it morning, noon and night."_ The world has become APATHETIC. Also, John Doe notes how easily cops sell info to the press (18:22-18:34, 35:43). The press and the police dept are APATHETIC to ethics. Also, many characters, even minor ones, are super judgmental and have little sympathy for people's suffering. Like when the SWAT team raids the apartment of the mummified sloth victim tied to the bed, the lead SWAT cop (John C. McGinley) says to him _"you got what you deserved"_ (right before the moment @17:59). Sure, he's a criminal but no one deserves that kind of treatment. But then when it's discovered he's actually alive and is taken to the hospital, the doctor says _"he's experienced about as much pain and suffering as anyone I've encountered... and he still has Hell to look forward to"_ (18:56). It always struck me as such a bizarre thing for a doctor to say given their Hippocratic oath, i.e. their duty to care but ya know... APATHY. THE LAWYERS: 1.) The lawyer that's punished for greed, as John Doe put it _"this is a man who dedicated his life to making money by lying with every breath he could muster to keeping murderers and rapists off the streets."_ That lawyer didn't care about justice or morality. APATHY. 2.) Also, John Doe's lawyer has virtually no emotion while he's blackmailing the cops with John Doe's plea bargain (lawyer @30:14). Either they agree to John Doe's terms in which he will plead guilty OR if they don't agree to his terms, John Doe will plead insanity. The lawyer says _"with the extreme nature of these crimes, I could easily get him off with such a plea."_ The lawyer is apathetic to justice and the victims of the case while he (as Mills puts it) "sits there in his $3000 suit", suggesting he's much like the greedy lawyer John Doe killed. He also says to them _"if you don't agree to my client's specific conditions, these two bodies will never be found"_ to which the district attorney (Richard Roundtree) retorts _"at this point, I'm inclined to let them rot"_ APATHY. Also, the lawyer in the same scene (30:41): _"My client would like to remind you that two more people are dead. The press would have a field day if the police didn't seem too concerned about finding them (APATHY) and giving them a proper burial."_ THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS: 1.) The proprietor of the brothel is questioned by Mills in the glass interrogation room. Mills asks him _"you didn't see anything strange or suspicious, anyone with a package under their arm?"_ To which he replies @27:37 _"everybody coming in there has got a package under their arm, some people have suitcases full of stuff."_ The man "sees nothing" and questions nothing (APATHY). Mills then asks him _"do you like your job, the things you see?"_ He responds, _"No, but that's life, isn't it?"._ He doesn't like it, but he tolerates it cuz he needs to make a living. APATHY. 2.) Also, the owner of the S&M leather shop who designed the knife strap-on costume (26:51) is asked disgustedly by Somerset _"you actually made this for him?"_ The owner replies _"yea, so what, I made weirder stuff than this."_ APATHY 3.) This might be reading too much into it but the pizza shop where they meet the FBI agent with the library files. Somerset mentions that the pizza shop @21:33 must have had _"at least 50 health violations last inspection"._ They clearly don't care about standards and safety. APATHY. And for some reason, the city didn't even shut them down. Did the health dept simply tolerate it? More apathy?? Also, the man, who hands out flyers right outside the pizza shop, is shoved by an extremely rude pedestrian who passes by. The rude pedestrian is both APATHETIC to the man and his flyers. Yea, yea, I know. I'm reading too much into it, but it fits the themes of the story. 4.) And the real estate agent who sold the "subway" apartment to Mills and his wife (13:24). Clearly a scumbag who only cared about unloading the place and didn't care about their discomfort. APATHY. And also, the sloth victim's landlord was just happy that the rent was always paid on time (20:38) and that there were no complaints from or about that tenant. He never bothered to ever check up on him. APATHY. THE DETECTIVE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FILM: In the opening scene, Somerset is at a crime scene where a man killed his wife and son in a crime of passion. It's mentioned that the neighbors heard them arguing for two hours and never called the police-- APATHY. Somerset then asks another detective if the kid witnessed the murder, to which the detective responds _"Who cares if the kid saw it? He's dead"_ (in the scene @2:57). APATHY DETECTIVE MILLS: Also, notice Mills is the only character who "cares" in the film. As Somerset sarcastically asks him, _"you want to be a hero and you're gonna make a difference?"_ Mills, the only character who supposedly "cares" gets punished the most. His whole world gets turned upside down by the end. Mills, the man AND his philosophy on life, is destroyed-- and he will undoubtedly become as jaded and cynical as Somerset. Mills says to John Doe in the car, _"I don't see you as a Messiah. After 2 months, no one will remember this. No one will care."_ APATHY. Also, when Mills tells the story of when he fired his gun in the line of duty, he remembers how HE felt during the incident but can't remember the name of his fellow cop who was shot (scene @16:27). This was after he witnessed the first few murders. I think it's meant to signify the small but subtle beginning of the erosion of Mill's sympathy. He's becoming APATHETIC. Also, again, note at the end of the film when Mills is put into the back of the police car (scene @37:33), the captain says to Somerset _"don't worry, we'll take care of him",_ implying that the dept will cover it up. Even though Mills murdered a suspect, the captain and the department are APATHETIC to his crime. Mills's sin will go unpunished. Anyway, what a brilliantly written and literary script. How it didn't get nominated at the Oscars is baffling.
Hollywood can’t risk giving an Oscar to movies with music by white rockstars. Movies are scripted so all scenes kept are deliberate, therefore I don’t think you read too far into the apathy theme, not even at the smallest points like the pizza shop. I differ on Mills’ arc; Instead of being considered a murder it could easily be argued that it was a crime of passion, given what he had just found out. This would also bookend the movie, with one crime of passion at the beginning, and another at the end.
In my youth, after we'd watched this film if anyone ever said "I've got a surprise for you", the response from the other person was always "is it a head in a box?". Thank goodness the answer was always no.
12:08 - Chiaroscuro is a photographical technique, but I'm not sure that qualifies, as it's based on high contrast and the lighting's too soft there (as well as the dark areas being lit).
The recent film “The Batman” took much inspiration from Se7en’s visuals to create the updated gloom of the city of Gotham in case you’re interested in checking out that movie sometime soon
One of my favorite parts is Somerset's "John Doe has the upper hand!" reaction to the box in the end. He spends the whole movie so measured yet becomes so expressive in the end in a way that feels organic.
Saw Se7en opening weekend, it already had a pretty good buzz before it came out, I liked it, thought it was clever and very well done, it was dead quiet at the end, and I remember somebody walking up the aisle with his arms around his girlfriend, her head was down crying. I think women take the movie harder than men do
As a Graphic Designer in the mid 90s, this movie was an absolute feast for the eyes. By the time the opening title sequence was over, I looked over at my wife and said that I had already gotten my money’s worth. It’s also fascinating all the time and effort spent to create all the manifestos and crime scene/autopsy photos. There was a head created that we never see (in this movie anyway). 😮
Se7en is a freaking master class in flim making. Be it the writing, the acting, the cinemetography, the direction, the tension, the storytelling... it's just so good. Fincher's one of my favorite directors, and this is my favorite Fincher film. It was so much fun watching your reaction!
Son of Sam was the psychotic serial (or spree) killer in New York City during the hot summer of 77. He claimed that a dog was commanding him to kill. On the plus side it was a wonderful time to be on tour with the Grateful Dead as they were so damn good that year.
Brad and Gwyneth were a couple at the time this was made. The finger print tech was played by Morgans son. The cop standing over thr sloth victim wasnt told that he was still alive so we see his genuine reaction when he gasps.
"I took a souvenir..." and "He didn't know"...best delivery, great acting, excellent Kevin Spacey. The most funny sce is, when he comes to police station covered with blood and nobody notices him . 😀
Not a mystery but have you seen Francis Ford Coppola version of Bram Stoker's Dracula? The ambience of that film in Sooooo engrossing. Everything about that film is spot on. Plus Gary Oldman plays Dracula and also has Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves and Ser Anthony Hopkins.
Saw this opening day. _Sloth_ did make the audience jump. And for good reason. The director snuck the Sloth actor onto the set. He had him remain perfectly still as the other actors came in and they set up the shot. So, they literally thought he was a mannequin. When Sloth finally coughed, the other actor nearly leapt outta his skin. That reaction is totally legit XD
The Photographer wasn’t really there to cover the crime scene he was there to take the next picture of the victim and add the next photo to the others in the stack.
Fincher is an absolute master. This movie is a directing masterclass. Beautifully dark and grungy visuals, amazing dialogue, so much atmosphere. I can’t praise it enough…..Another Fincher movie that also stars Brad Pitt, one of the most underrated movies ever IMO, is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Nobody ever talks about it when it comes to Fincher, but it’s probably a top 10 movie of all time for me. Such a sprawling emotional ride.
"Brad Pitt walked like it was his space, but it was a crime scene" A crime-scene for a crime which he was assigned to be the lead investigator. So kinda was HIS crime scene. Also what's the big deal with the Sloth guy? A person can look like shit from bedsores and lose 100s of pounds and look like a skeleton and still be alive... Some concentration camp victims which were freed looked even worse "Yeah, but what if they buy them at Barnes and Nobles?" Today the FBI or some 3 letter agency would have those purchases too
You're right that it was "his" crime scene but it's still kinda strange the way he occupies the space. I think the film doesn't just portray him as a hothead - I think the essence of his character is that he's in over his head for detective work. He likes the *idea* of being a detective, likely because he wants to be mister cool guy that saves the day by taking out the city's trash, but he's too impatient to do the methodical work necessary to get results. The Greed scene conveys this to me with the way he kicks back in the chair, turns the tv on, kicks out the two guys collecting evidence, then stands over the scene scratching his head as if he has no clue what to do or make of it. Couple this with him annoyed with reading so settles for Cliff Notes, and him eating snacks in the library while Somerset makes copies then it starts to paint a broader picture of his character... In the car in act three, Mills basically lies to himself by saying that "we would've caught you eventually" as if something he did brought them closer to catching John Doe, which is barely the case - Somerset's insight and curiosity took the lead at nearly every turn yet even then in a way that the k!ller essentially baited the two of them in. Mills wants to believe he's a hero but has no clue what he's doing. The ending wasn't just his wrath wrapped in vengeance, it was also his impatience to do what he spent the whole movie convinced he'd paid his dues long enough to do, despite not knowing how.
No, they didn't look worse. The victim in this movie was kept alive by IV's. If he hadn't gotten that, he would have been long gone. Concentration camp victims would have died if they were at his point.
My best friend in high school (who ended up a film major) and I saw this in the theatre the opening weekend. Leaving the theatre the whole audience was silent and zombie like leaving (trying to process/disturbed by the film) and my friend ended up basically dry heaving in the parking lot with how effected he was. I wasn't quite as emotionally effected, and I did really appreciate the film, but it definitely was an unusually intense experience for most in the audience and a number of people couldn't get over their horrific emotional experience to appreciate the film. I think it likely deserved more Oscar consideration for best picture, although it was a strong year. Interestingly both Pitt and Spacey were nominated for supporting actor for other movies this year (which were also terrific movies that could have been in best picture consideration but also failed to be nominated for BP: The Usual Suspects - my favorite of the year - and 12 Monkeys).
Chanelle you really should react to the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, directed by Fincher. And I think you should view the original Swedish trilogy. It's amazing but rough watching. I was hoping Fincher would continue but all they did was put out "The Girl In The Spiders Web" which had a different director and actress.
I think I remember a part on the commentary track with Pitt and Fincher where they mentioned an exec from New Line wanted to come down and check on their progress and see how they were spending the money, as Fincher said "I guess to make sure we weren't snorting coke in our solid gold trailers". The day she was coming down was when they filming on the gluttony set. She came in on set, took one look and walked out, and they never saw her again.
My family's summer cottage is right by the train tracks. Trains are common and they are of course loud and make the whole house shake, but trust me, your body gets so used to that you will not wake up at all during the night after just a few nights. Even if the trains woosh by all night long. It is because our reflexes are tuned to react to dangers, but train sounds, are not a sign of danger. So your mind simply quiets those noises.
The left-right eye thing is interesting. In college, we were taught to turn our drawings upside down, especially if we were going for symmetry. I don't know if the same mechanism applies, but it worked to get me to notice issues in my drawing.
When I saw the movie back in 1995, I wouldn't have known it was Kevin Spacey before you could see him, if I had seen the movie for the first time today I believe I could have figured out it was him, because of his voice. And I have seen more movie and TV-series with him since then.
When I see this little masterpiece, I always think of the young lady who took all the photo stills of the victims. She worked separately with specially selected extras, creating all those horrendous visuals. It's a dark masterpiece in itself.
Thanks for another great reaction video! This is one of my all time favorite crime/thriller films. Right up there with Silence of the Lambs. I consider myself fortunate to have seen it at the theater, not once, but twice. I credit this film for sparking my interest in true crime. Despite having seen it many times, I'm always captivated.
Such an awesome movie. And excellent reaction. ❤ Andrew Kevin Walker wrote this movie. I was working with his brother Ken when this movie was released. We were in the same dept at a tech firm. I still remember the day he walked into work wearing a black jacket with SE7EN scrawled in red letters across the back. 😁 After this movie every time we received equipment delivered to the lab in a head sized box, I just wanted to yell, “What’s in the box?!” 😱
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Quite possibly one of the best examples of cinematography in the 1990's using film and bleach processes
Read my essay, Shan!😄
That was a great Filmmaker-y ...Actor-y Director-y... observations reaction and commentary Shannelle Riccio ... for reals🏆
@@memikel1489yay glad you liked!
So you’re not going to the IMAX re-release that’s currently in theaters?
Jodie Foster's stalker tried to assassinate Reagan, thats the reference, the other one about the dog is about Son of Sam.
David Berkowitz
John Hinkley (Reagan)
I was going to say that
I was checking to see if anyone explained those references before I chimed in. 😊
I said, "Oh, sweetie" when she said "Silence of the Lambs reference?"
I always thought Mills should have said "A Twinkie made me do it" (assassination of Harvey Milk) since that was one of the stupidest defense arguments...
@@Palindrome78Probably an effort for an insanity defense.
This is only one of a handful of thrillers that remains rewatchable after you know the outcome. I never get tired of this story. One of the greats!
Just a quick fyi, Mills's remark "Jodi Foster made me do it." is not a reference to Silence of the Lambs. It's actually a reference to the real life assassination attempt on Ronald Regan by John Hinckley Jr. in 1981. Hinckley claimed he was trying to impress Jodi Foster whom he was obsessed with.
"What's in the box" is a quote you'll be using in your everyday life from now on...
Most definitely!
it is Haunting
Every time I get an Amazon package
I could tell you about another movie with Fincher and Pitt, but the first rule is.... I can't talk about it. 🤜🤛
What's the second rule?
15:51 No, the _"Jodie Foster made me do it"_ line is a reference to John Hinckley attempting to take out Ronald Reagan to impress Jodie Foster after he obsessed over her after watching her in _Taxi Driver_ 17 times in the theater. You need to react to that film!
And _"the dog made me do it"_ line is a reference to serial killer David Berkowitz ("Son of Sam") who hallucinated that Sam (his neighbor's dog) was telling him to commit murders.
Ahhhhhh i love it thanks!!
@@ShanelleRiccioThis is the 30th anniversary of this movie
@@ShanelleRiccio Don't forget the essay, Shan!😄
Weirdly, the dogs name was Harvey. The owner's name was sam and David said that the demon talking through the dog was named Sam.
@@antimatter2380 Ahhh
They avoided using Kevin Spacey in the promo material for this movie, which made it an hell of an impact when he showed up.
It was specifically in his deal he didn’t have a credit until the end of the movie
Note: This was possible because the internet didn’t really exist the way it does now. All they had to do was keep him out of the commercial and off the poster. There was no IMDb listing or similar to circumvent.
It really was not such a big deal because nobody outside oh Hollywood really knew who Spacey was at the time.
Se7en was released in September of 1995.....The Usual Suspects was only released a month before and while a box office success for a small film, it was not a massive blockbuster hit.
Other than The Usual Suspects, the only other role of note he had was in Glengarry Glen Ross three years earlier....and earlier in 1995 he was 4th billed in the silly "Outbreak".
It would not have mattered if they included him, because all the publicity of this film was focused on Pitt who had just become a major star the year before and this was his first outing as a newly minted superstar and everyone wanted to so how bankable he was and how he would team up with Morgan Freeman. Also the tabloid press was having a field day lapping up the Pitt/Paltrow relationship which sprung up during filming.
Kevin Spacey's idea.
I saw this in the theaters in 1995, in a fairly rundown cinema in a bad part of town. The weather outside matched the movie. The smell outside - overripe garbage - matched the movie as I went in and also as I came out. The cinema was packed for a 2pm showing and when the film ended, about 200 people all stood up in DEAD SILENCE and shuffled out of the theater, not making eye contact with anyone. We all felt like we had seen something we weren't supposed to, like we'd just emerged from the brothel that you glimpse in the movie and don't want to be seen exiting the theater. When i stepped out into the street, it was hot and humid and raining and the street was filthy and it stank and the entire city felt rotten to the core and I felt like I was literally trapped in the movie I had just watched. It was one of the most surreal and visceral moments of my life when it comes to cinema and reality blending together.
Nobody guessed the ending of course because SE7EN broke the mould and invented a whole new one at the same time. Prior to this, serial killer films and cop films were cheesy and designed as buddy cop action fests. Sometimes they were thrillers, but they all ended the same way with the cops chasing the killer down in the end and arriving in the nick of time to save the victim. Even SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, which subverted that formula, still had elements of it. SE7EN just threw all of it out the window, it was arguably one of the first studio-films in history that embraced the idea that it was going to be a "feel bad" film.
SILENCE OF THE LAMBS introduced the idea of the downbeat, horror-crossover, thriller but SE7EN perfected it. It is arguable, I think, that every single serial killer movie post SE7EN and every true crime film, show, even the aesthetics of books and art, are all influenced by SE7EN. Nothing had ever come before that looked like this, felt like this and had the guts to do what it did to its audience. The 90s, arguably, invented subversive studio cinema that was then turned into a mainstream thing by the 2000s.
Also no, it's 9 circles of Hell. Not 7. But there are several "7" motifs throughout the film, many of them designed only to register to the unconscious part of the viewer's mind (e.g. the scene where Mill and Somerset walk down the street in the opening...all the building numbers start with 7).
Woah thanks for writing! This felt absolutely dreadful (in a good way) 😂 i can’t imagine seeing it for the first time in 95!! It was just so so grim i was in a funk for dayssssss
It’s remarkable how Se7en still has the power to disturb people, a great movie, very well made and it holds up very well
One of the first films I remember seeing and thinking "Yup, that's how it would end in real life" No happy Hollywood ending with Mills being the "bigger man". This was so real and amazing.
For more Brad Pitt I recommend "12 Monkeys" by Terry Gilliam
Indeed. And Snatch (2000).
Brad Pitt is a little too convincing in 12 Monkeys 😳
Gilliam is a mad genius... loved him in Monty Python, but his second career was better imho.
@@jduncanandroid Not many films left me with that empty horror feeling like this movie had on my first watch, but Gilliam's Tideland managed that too.
_Brazil_ by Gilliam is another good one.
Movies like this don't come along every day...not even every year. I was 22 years old when this movie opened in September 1995. I was working a retail job at the time, and I decided to kill a few hours before my shift started with the first showing of another predictable serial killer movie. WOAH. I was NOT prepared, to say the least. As Mills and Somerset are escorting John Doe across the field under the power lines, I was cowering in my seat, simultaneously shaking with fear and giggling with anticipation. When the movie ended, I couldn't move. The credits finished and the lights came up and I STILL couldn't move. To this day, I have never had a more memorable movie theater experience in my life. David Fincher will always be one of my favorite filmmakers, due in no small part to this film.
When she said most gruesome crime scene I was like she has no idea was up next 😅
37:44 "Ernest Hemingway once wrote: 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part."
New game: take a shot every time someone tries to explain what the Jodie Foster reference meant. 😵
Are you trying to give people alcohol poisoning? 😅
I used to have a bottle of Scotch. It's gone now.
Almost 4 months, that's how long it took me to rent a copy of this on VHS when it got released in the 90's. Weekend after weekend I would visit all the video shops in town to find it. I even skipped school to try and find it. It felt like I was never going to see it. It was almost this adventure I went on to try and find this movie. Everyone at school couldn't stop talking about it. When I eventually found a copy one Sunday morning, it absolutely blew me away. It was one of the darkest and most stunning movies I have ever seen. I think I saw it about 3 times that day. It made that search and waiting so worth it. Streaming has killed the magic in finding movies like this. Now the whole world can just stream it the moment it's available and start forgetting it because of the unlimited amount of available content. Streaming killed magic and fun.
That's why back in the 90's you became friends with the video store guy.
The end credits scrolling in reverse direction is just a *chefs kiss* move
So scary so uneasy
With "The Hearts Filthy Lesson", by David Bowie. Even more chefs kiss.
“He goes from the window to sitting, so that’s also pretty jarring.” Whelp, you’re doomed. 🤣
The writing was on the walls
No... "Jodie Foster made me do it" is in reference to John Hinckley Jr shooting Ronald Regan. He claimed he did it to impress Jodie Foster.
Also... it's 9 circles of Hell... not 7.
It was because of her role in taxi driver right?
The credits at the beginning are so creepy mostly because the music is from Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails
The Jodie Foster comment wasn't a reference to 'Silence of the Lambs'. It was a reference to John Hinckley and the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan.
He was released from prison years ago and has done interviews and has done internet things for years.Hes a wacko,yet somehow,you want to listen to him😮
Another backstory of Hinckley...Now this is odd and wierd...The investigation after his assassination attempt on Reagan revealed that he was talking to Jodie Foster alot of times.Jodie Foster was young and naive and to this day she doesn't talk about it.She was cleared by the Secret Service about having any involvement with the Reagan assassination attempt.
There are two phrases I love from this movie, one being when R. Lee Ermey grabs a ringing phone only to complain "This isn't even my desk." The other is when Pitt as David Mills refers to "the Marquis de Shar-day" and Freeman as Somerset corrects him. Freeman got a chuckle out of that. When Mills mentions Jodie Foster, he's referring to John Hinckley, the guy who tried to assassinate President Reagan, because evidently, he believed that killing Reagan would somehow make an impression on Foster. I have always wondered if The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en took place in the same universe, and I enjoyed imagining a new movie called Starling and Somerset, starring Foster and Freeman as their respective detectives, working together for some reason -- but I couldn't even begin to imagine a case crazy enough to necessitate that.
Both movies have very similar vibes. The darkness of them, both literally and figuratively.
11:22 'That's one of the most gruesome crime scenes in cinema'.
>Might want to hold off on that claim. There's still six deadly sins to go...
I thought the same thing, especially Lust. Still makes me uncomfortable at the thought.
i was like oh sloth and lust are way worse
i saw this one in the theater with a couple of friends and it rattled us all so dang hard. we could barely look at each other for a few days. couldn't explain it to you why even now.
also, gone girl AND zodiac are both fantastic, would love to see your reactions to both!
Kevin Spacey asked Fincher not to put his name in the opening credits, because you see so much of the film before hes onscreen. He figured if they see me on the credits but not see me at all, they will realize im the killer
Kevin Spacey was almost kicked from the movie, because he insisted that hes name wasn´t in any promotional posters or open credits because it would spoil the ending. He also said this was hes favorite movie, because he got to act such a great actors as Freeman and Pitt. He praised Pitts acting especially at the end.
One of my favorite movies of all time. So many subtle character moments that make this really dense. The wine glass, "Serpico needs to go to work", Mills forgetting the name of the officer that died in his raid story, the opening shot how Sommerset just strolls down the street and Mills has to dodge people to keep up with him. So many more. Brilliant movie.
What are your thoughts on the significance of Mills not remembering the officer's name?
@@Chrisratata Somerset's reaction is, as I see it, sadness. Mills represents, in a lot of ways, what Somerset is so disgusted by. It's the apathy and the priorities he doesn't approve of. And Mills wants to be the hero, someone self sacrificing and brave, but doesn't have the reverence for someone else that sacrificed everything.
THIS is the best kind of movie for your channel!
No one really points out how it rained nonstop for 6 days and when they go outside of the city, it's a desert.
A desert, with a dead dog.
Fincher's masterpiece of dank dystopia and man's inhumanity towards man. The DynamicDuo of Freeman & Pitt is worth the price of admission alone. And yes Sloth was alive (and the make-up was by none-other-than Rob Bottin who did THE THING!). That Hemingway quote stinger still stands.
15:59 - Nope, John Hinckley Jr. reference.
This movie is, without hyperbole, a masterpiece. Fun Fact: Kevin Spacey is not listed in the opening credits because it would better serve the film's marketing and intrigue to keep the John Doe character a secret. This was Spacey's idea.
It was also partly because Spacey's previous roles were drastically different to this, though I think he'd done The Usual Suspects well before this one. But yes, he did point out that people would probably figure it was the third name on the billing if they only saw Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman in the poster and promos.
They always talk about the seven deadly sins. But everyone always forgets the seven heavenly virtues. Humility, Charity, Chasity, Gratitude, Temperance, Patience and Diligence.
Shanelle, “Fight Club” was also David Fincher. I’m 90% sure you’ve watched that great Brad Pitt film.
Batman plus 7 equals the joker
"I am pumped for this one for a number of reasons." -- I see what you did there.
The sharp contrast comes from this being one of the first features to employ he 'bleach bypass' photochemical process. It leaves the silver nitrate on the film which gives it a rich, deep contrast in the blacks.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji was a master of the technique, and after this movie the look was blindly ripped off by countless movies and music videos. And, of course, Fincher's exquisitely precise framing has made him one of the greatest directors of his generation.
@18:00 When you know it's coming and someone's watching it for the first time.
*Insert smirk*
When I saw this in the theater, after it was over nobody said anything. Everyone just walked out in silence, just disturbed by it. I’ve never experienced anything like that again.
I was 15 when this movie came out and I still can't believe my very religious parents let us watch it. 🤣 The lines at the end, "What's in the box? What's in the box?" and the way the said it...that'll always stick with me, as I'm sure it has many, many other viewers.
Every time somebody gets in my uber and they have a box with them I can't help but recite that line
@@MessOfThings 😂 Do people appreciate it?
@@plumdutchess i usually have to explain myself. I don't say it exactly the way he said it.
23:21 - its not your sound being loud. The gunshots in that moment are unique, recorded and mixed to be as loud and realistic as possible. 99% of all films don't recreate gunshots to mimic reality, they suppress them in the mix to fit the audience's needs. In this instant, they wanted the gunshot to be as close to reality as possible. Another film that does this, of course, is HEAT.
Alright, Shan. Essay time! 😂Lengthy read but fascinating analysis of the film's themes. Trust me, it's good:
Apathy is the biggest theme of the movie. Many discussions within the film allude to it. Aside from the obvious apathy speech Somerset (Morgan Freeman) gives to Mills (Brad Pitt) in the bar (28:02-28:44), but also when Somerset explains how the first thing women are taught in rape prevention class is to not yell "help" (14:02) cuz no one responds to "help" (everyone is more concerned about their own safety than to assist a total stranger). So, women must instead yell "fire", as Somerset put it _"in a big city, minding your own business is a science"._ People in big cities are apathetic to any one stranger's individual suffering, but a fire can spread to multiple buildings which affects everyone, which is why people respond to "fire". People only care about fire cuz the fire could affect THEM.
DETECTIVE SOMERSET:
Throughout the film, Somerset repeatedly mentions how much he hates the city. All his years on the force has caused him to be cynical, jaded and apathetic. Particular examples:
1.) In the first act of the movie, Somerset mentions how he wants to retire asap and go live on a farm (9:24) far away from the real world and its ugliness.
2.) Another example: Somerset is pessimistic about whether the case will ever be solved, saying their investigation is merely procedural, saying to Mills _"We're just picking up the pieces. Collecting all the evidence. Filing it away on the off-chance it will ever be needed in the courtroom."_ He equates the futility and hopelessness of it all to _"picking up diamonds on a deserted island, saving them in case we get rescued"_ (it was the scene of them waiting on the couch before they fell asleep @16:02).
3.) Another example of his apathy: All the noise, police sirens, screaming and crime that he hears outside his apartment window keeps him up at night, which is why he uses a metronome to drown out the noise (4:06-4:12). He has become apathetic to the crime going on JUST OUTSIDE his window. The metronome is symbolism for Somerset's APATHY.
But as the case goes on, his apathy begins to erode little by little as he starts to care about the world again and about justice. For example, after the shootout upon arriving at John Doe's apartment, Mills just wants to kick in the door and begin collecting evidence (24:31-24:46). But Somerset reminds him that they have no probable cause to enter the apartment, saying _"If we leave a hole like this, we won't be able to prosecute. The guy will walk. Is that what you want?"_ Somerset is passionate to not let Joe Doe slip through the hands of the justice system, meaning his apathy is starting to erode and he's beginning to care again. Also, note, right after Mills denounces Somerset's apathy speech (28:24), Somerset goes home that night and destroys the metronome (right before the knife throwing scene @29:00). Mills's words really affected him causing Somerset to care again, which is why he destroyed the metronome (i.e. his apathy). And by the end of the film, his arc is complete (apathetic to sympathetic). His end quote (37:47): _"Ernest Hemingway once wrote 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part."_ The world is a terrible place but it's still worth fighting for.
JOHN DOE AND THE PUBLIC'S APATHY:
John Doe's words during the car ride (in his rant about the sinners from 32:51-33:03) _"Only in a world this bad can we say these were innocent people. We see a deadly sin on every street corner and we tolerate it. We tolerate it morning, noon and night."_ The world has become APATHETIC. Also, John Doe notes how easily cops sell info to the press (18:22-18:34, 35:43). The press and the police dept are APATHETIC to ethics.
Also, many characters, even minor ones, are super judgmental and have little sympathy for people's suffering. Like when the SWAT team raids the apartment of the mummified sloth victim tied to the bed, the lead SWAT cop (John C. McGinley) says to him _"you got what you deserved"_ (right before the moment @17:59). Sure, he's a criminal but no one deserves that kind of treatment. But then when it's discovered he's actually alive and is taken to the hospital, the doctor says _"he's experienced about as much pain and suffering as anyone I've encountered... and he still has Hell to look forward to"_ (18:56). It always struck me as such a bizarre thing for a doctor to say given their Hippocratic oath, i.e. their duty to care but ya know... APATHY.
THE LAWYERS:
1.) The lawyer that's punished for greed, as John Doe put it _"this is a man who dedicated his life to making money by lying with every breath he could muster to keeping murderers and rapists off the streets."_ That lawyer didn't care about justice or morality. APATHY.
2.) Also, John Doe's lawyer has virtually no emotion while he's blackmailing the cops with John Doe's plea bargain (lawyer @30:14). Either they agree to John Doe's terms in which he will plead guilty OR if they don't agree to his terms, John Doe will plead insanity. The lawyer says _"with the extreme nature of these crimes, I could easily get him off with such a plea."_ The lawyer is apathetic to justice and the victims of the case while he (as Mills puts it) "sits there in his $3000 suit", suggesting he's much like the greedy lawyer John Doe killed. He also says to them _"if you don't agree to my client's specific conditions, these two bodies will never be found"_ to which the district attorney (Richard Roundtree) retorts _"at this point, I'm inclined to let them rot"_ APATHY. Also, the lawyer in the same scene (30:41): _"My client would like to remind you that two more people are dead. The press would have a field day if the police didn't seem too concerned about finding them (APATHY) and giving them a proper burial."_
THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS:
1.) The proprietor of the brothel is questioned by Mills in the glass interrogation room. Mills asks him _"you didn't see anything strange or suspicious, anyone with a package under their arm?"_ To which he replies @27:37 _"everybody coming in there has got a package under their arm, some people have suitcases full of stuff."_ The man "sees nothing" and questions nothing (APATHY). Mills then asks him _"do you like your job, the things you see?"_ He responds, _"No, but that's life, isn't it?"._ He doesn't like it, but he tolerates it cuz he needs to make a living. APATHY.
2.) Also, the owner of the S&M leather shop who designed the knife strap-on costume (26:51) is asked disgustedly by Somerset _"you actually made this for him?"_ The owner replies _"yea, so what, I made weirder stuff than this."_ APATHY
3.) This might be reading too much into it but the pizza shop where they meet the FBI agent with the library files. Somerset mentions that the pizza shop @21:33 must have had _"at least 50 health violations last inspection"._ They clearly don't care about standards and safety. APATHY. And for some reason, the city didn't even shut them down. Did the health dept simply tolerate it? More apathy?? Also, the man, who hands out flyers right outside the pizza shop, is shoved by an extremely rude pedestrian who passes by. The rude pedestrian is both APATHETIC to the man and his flyers. Yea, yea, I know. I'm reading too much into it, but it fits the themes of the story.
4.) And the real estate agent who sold the "subway" apartment to Mills and his wife (13:24). Clearly a scumbag who only cared about unloading the place and didn't care about their discomfort. APATHY. And also, the sloth victim's landlord was just happy that the rent was always paid on time (20:38) and that there were no complaints from or about that tenant. He never bothered to ever check up on him. APATHY.
THE DETECTIVE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FILM:
In the opening scene, Somerset is at a crime scene where a man killed his wife and son in a crime of passion. It's mentioned that the neighbors heard them arguing for two hours and never called the police-- APATHY. Somerset then asks another detective if the kid witnessed the murder, to which the detective responds _"Who cares if the kid saw it? He's dead"_ (in the scene @2:57). APATHY
DETECTIVE MILLS:
Also, notice Mills is the only character who "cares" in the film. As Somerset sarcastically asks him, _"you want to be a hero and you're gonna make a difference?"_ Mills, the only character who supposedly "cares" gets punished the most. His whole world gets turned upside down by the end. Mills, the man AND his philosophy on life, is destroyed-- and he will undoubtedly become as jaded and cynical as Somerset. Mills says to John Doe in the car, _"I don't see you as a Messiah. After 2 months, no one will remember this. No one will care."_ APATHY. Also, when Mills tells the story of when he fired his gun in the line of duty, he remembers how HE felt during the incident but can't remember the name of his fellow cop who was shot (scene @16:27). This was after he witnessed the first few murders. I think it's meant to signify the small but subtle beginning of the erosion of Mill's sympathy. He's becoming APATHETIC.
Also, again, note at the end of the film when Mills is put into the back of the police car (scene @37:33), the captain says to Somerset _"don't worry, we'll take care of him",_ implying that the dept will cover it up. Even though Mills murdered a suspect, the captain and the department are APATHETIC to his crime. Mills's sin will go unpunished.
Anyway, what a brilliantly written and literary script. How it didn't get nominated at the Oscars is baffling.
Loved reading this, good takes!
Your assignment was to write a annotated essay on the movie Se7en
🅰️➕ I really enjoyed that
This was an excellent commentary on the film, and it deserves many more upvotes. 👍
Best Essay comments ever bruh👍👍👏👏
Hollywood can’t risk giving an Oscar to movies with music by white rockstars.
Movies are scripted so all scenes kept are deliberate, therefore I don’t think you read too far into the apathy theme, not even at the smallest points like the pizza shop.
I differ on Mills’ arc; Instead of being considered a murder it could easily be argued that it was a crime of passion, given what he had just found out. This would also bookend the movie, with one crime of passion at the beginning, and another at the end.
You actually do have a Fincher movie already on the channel. Fight Club. Another Fincher movie I highly recommend is "The Game".
Based on all the Jodie Foster comments, it would appear your audience is slightly older than you! 😛 Next up, Squeaky Fromme and Gerald Ford.
In my youth, after we'd watched this film if anyone ever said "I've got a surprise for you", the response from the other person was always "is it a head in a box?".
Thank goodness the answer was always no.
The FBI monitors bookstore purchases too.
In case you buy catcher in the rye?
@@Chriswallace0405 Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they don't want me dead.
12:08 - Chiaroscuro is a photographical technique, but I'm not sure that qualifies, as it's based on high contrast and the lighting's too soft there (as well as the dark areas being lit).
Girl, 1982 Diner.
Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Paul Riser, Daniel Stern. They were all in their 20s, I think.
"The whole left side of the menu"
Excellent recommendation 👍
Any cinephile watching this masterpiece for the first time is in for the biggest treat ever
This is a christmas movie btw. They talk about the bible and Brad Pitt gets a present in the end
Oh man, that's dark. Haha!
Boo! Sorry, that’s my default response to all dad jokes that aren’t mine.
Jesus h christ
💀
The recent film “The Batman” took much inspiration from Se7en’s visuals to create the updated gloom of the city of Gotham in case you’re interested in checking out that movie sometime soon
Spacey was the it guy of the 90s and did this and usual Suspects, in 95!
One of my favorite parts is Somerset's "John Doe has the upper hand!" reaction to the box in the end. He spends the whole movie so measured yet becomes so expressive in the end in a way that feels organic.
Saw Se7en opening weekend, it already had a pretty good buzz before it came out, I liked it, thought it was clever and very well done, it was dead quiet at the end, and I remember somebody walking up the aisle with his arms around his girlfriend, her head was down crying. I think women take the movie harder than men do
As a Graphic Designer in the mid 90s, this movie was an absolute feast for the eyes. By the time the opening title sequence was over, I looked over at my wife and said that I had already gotten my money’s worth. It’s also fascinating all the time and effort spent to create all the manifestos and crime scene/autopsy photos. There was a head created that we never see (in this movie anyway). 😮
That jump scare at 18:02 got me so bad in the theater I felt my legs wanting to run out of the theater without me having any say in the matter.
LOL
Cops don't pay the reporters, reporters pay the cops, for the info
Se7en is a freaking master class in flim making. Be it the writing, the acting, the cinemetography, the direction, the tension, the storytelling... it's just so good. Fincher's one of my favorite directors, and this is my favorite Fincher film. It was so much fun watching your reaction!
Exactly the comment I was going to leave… although Fight Club is my favorite Fincher film for all the same reasons.
Son of Sam was the psychotic serial (or spree) killer in New York City during the hot summer of 77. He claimed that a dog was commanding him to kill. On the plus side it was a wonderful time to be on tour with the Grateful Dead as they were so damn good that year.
Hey, Jodie Foster reference I think is too the Hinckley shooting of President Reagan
To
I second this…
It's terrifying how good this movie is.
Jodie foster reference to Reagan's assassination guy.
Back in 1995, this was marketed as the feel good comedy of the year
I have to say seeing the rerelease of this in IMAX was something special.
Absolutely great pick for the channel. Blockbuster-status movie with a unique feel by a great director. I can’t wait to see Shan’s take.
Well! Just noticed the end credits are scrolling in the opposite direction from normal. Great reaction! Now she knows what’s in the box!
Brad and Gwyneth were a couple at the time this was made.
The finger print tech was played by Morgans son.
The cop standing over thr sloth victim wasnt told that he was still alive so we see his genuine reaction when he gasps.
"I took a souvenir..." and "He didn't know"...best delivery, great acting, excellent Kevin Spacey. The most funny sce is, when he comes to police station covered with blood and nobody notices him . 😀
Envy and wrath.
Good job, prescient Shan-Shan!
Not a mystery but have you seen Francis Ford Coppola version of Bram Stoker's Dracula? The ambience of that film in Sooooo engrossing. Everything about that film is spot on. Plus Gary Oldman plays Dracula and also has Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves and Ser Anthony Hopkins.
8:46 noticing all the non important details but not noticing the HUGE GREED word written in blood on the floor
The Jodi Foster reference was because she shot Ronald Reagan and framed John Hinkley
Always learning new stuff in the comments
That's probably why she built that escape room and then was trying to escape to space.
Saw this opening day. _Sloth_ did make the audience jump. And for good reason. The director snuck the Sloth actor onto the set. He had him remain perfectly still as the other actors came in and they set up the shot. So, they literally thought he was a mannequin. When Sloth finally coughed, the other actor nearly leapt outta his skin. That reaction is totally legit XD
You love movie diners? This one always makes me geek out when I spot it:
The diner at 19:35 is "Quality Cafe" & it has it's own wikipedia page.
As a working set dresser, it's common for us to ask, "What's in the box?" Whenever we receive a box from the Set Decorator.😊
I've been waiting for this one!. I'm glad we've stepped away from Marvel, and are back in the 90's.
The Photographer wasn’t really there to cover the crime scene he was there to take the next picture of the victim and add the next photo to the others in the stack.
Kevin Spacey's character represents the 7 deadly sins:
Greed, Anger, Pride, Envy, Lust, Sloth, Gluttony.
Somerset represents the 7 virtues: Humility, Charity, Chastity, Gratitude, Temperance, Patience, Diligence.
ehhhh no
I saw this in the theater when it came out. I remember everyone having the same disturbed look while leaving the theater. What a masterpiece!
Fincher is an absolute master. This movie is a directing masterclass. Beautifully dark and grungy visuals, amazing dialogue, so much atmosphere. I can’t praise it enough…..Another Fincher movie that also stars Brad Pitt, one of the most underrated movies ever IMO, is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Nobody ever talks about it when it comes to Fincher, but it’s probably a top 10 movie of all time for me. Such a sprawling emotional ride.
"Brad Pitt walked like it was his space, but it was a crime scene" A crime-scene for a crime which he was assigned to be the lead investigator. So kinda was HIS crime scene. Also what's the big deal with the Sloth guy? A person can look like shit from bedsores and lose 100s of pounds and look like a skeleton and still be alive... Some concentration camp victims which were freed looked even worse "Yeah, but what if they buy them at Barnes and Nobles?" Today the FBI or some 3 letter agency would have those purchases too
You're right that it was "his" crime scene but it's still kinda strange the way he occupies the space. I think the film doesn't just portray him as a hothead - I think the essence of his character is that he's in over his head for detective work. He likes the *idea* of being a detective, likely because he wants to be mister cool guy that saves the day by taking out the city's trash, but he's too impatient to do the methodical work necessary to get results.
The Greed scene conveys this to me with the way he kicks back in the chair, turns the tv on, kicks out the two guys collecting evidence, then stands over the scene scratching his head as if he has no clue what to do or make of it. Couple this with him annoyed with reading so settles for Cliff Notes, and him eating snacks in the library while Somerset makes copies then it starts to paint a broader picture of his character...
In the car in act three, Mills basically lies to himself by saying that "we would've caught you eventually" as if something he did brought them closer to catching John Doe, which is barely the case - Somerset's insight and curiosity took the lead at nearly every turn yet even then in a way that the k!ller essentially baited the two of them in. Mills wants to believe he's a hero but has no clue what he's doing. The ending wasn't just his wrath wrapped in vengeance, it was also his impatience to do what he spent the whole movie convinced he'd paid his dues long enough to do, despite not knowing how.
No, they didn't look worse. The victim in this movie was kept alive by IV's. If he hadn't gotten that, he would have been long gone. Concentration camp victims would have died if they were at his point.
My best friend in high school (who ended up a film major) and I saw this in the theatre the opening weekend. Leaving the theatre the whole audience was silent and zombie like leaving (trying to process/disturbed by the film) and my friend ended up basically dry heaving in the parking lot with how effected he was. I wasn't quite as emotionally effected, and I did really appreciate the film, but it definitely was an unusually intense experience for most in the audience and a number of people couldn't get over their horrific emotional experience to appreciate the film. I think it likely deserved more Oscar consideration for best picture, although it was a strong year. Interestingly both Pitt and Spacey were nominated for supporting actor for other movies this year (which were also terrific movies that could have been in best picture consideration but also failed to be nominated for BP: The Usual Suspects - my favorite of the year - and 12 Monkeys).
I like the diner scene @ 21:33-21:37 with the soundtrack by Haircut 100 love plus one from 1982 👍 😀
Chanelle you really should react to the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, directed by Fincher. And I think you should view the original Swedish trilogy. It's amazing but rough watching. I was hoping Fincher would continue but all they did was put out "The Girl In The Spiders Web" which had a different director and actress.
Great movie 😮
I almost forgot I watched it years years ago..
I think I remember a part on the commentary track with Pitt and Fincher where they mentioned an exec from New Line wanted to come down and check on their progress and see how they were spending the money, as Fincher said "I guess to make sure we weren't snorting coke in our solid gold trailers". The day she was coming down was when they filming on the gluttony set. She came in on set, took one look and walked out, and they never saw her again.
My family's summer cottage is right by the train tracks. Trains are common and they are of course loud and make the whole house shake, but trust me, your body gets so used to that you will not wake up at all during the night after just a few nights. Even if the trains woosh by all night long. It is because our reflexes are tuned to react to dangers, but train sounds, are not a sign of danger. So your mind simply quiets those noises.
16:02 that’s one of my favorite frames in all of film. It’s just so real and casual
The left-right eye thing is interesting. In college, we were taught to turn our drawings upside down, especially if we were going for symmetry. I don't know if the same mechanism applies, but it worked to get me to notice issues in my drawing.
It's amazing how much this movie's hellscape city doesn't feel like LA. But anyone who's lived through a SoCal February knows it totally is
Can't believe you've not watched all of Fincher's stuff. Absolutely one of the best.
When I saw the movie back in 1995, I wouldn't have known it was Kevin Spacey before you could see him, if I had seen the movie for the first time today I believe I could have figured out it was him, because of his voice. And I have seen more movie and TV-series with him since then.
When I see this little masterpiece, I always think of the young lady who took all the photo stills of the victims. She worked separately with specially selected extras, creating all those horrendous visuals. It's a dark masterpiece in itself.
This movie ranked at #26 in the 100 scariest movie moments on Bravo, cool reaction as always Shanelle, you take care 🥰❤️💋
On bravo 😂
You’re such a fun and smart reactor. Love the trivia at the end
I literally screamed when I saw this!!! GIRL! I’m so excited!
Haven’t even started it, and SMASHED the like button! XOXO
Thanks for another great reaction video!
This is one of my all time favorite crime/thriller films. Right up there with Silence of the Lambs. I consider myself fortunate to have seen it at the theater, not once, but twice. I credit this film for sparking my interest in true crime. Despite having seen it many times, I'm always captivated.
This is like one of the most legendary twist endings in cinema history.
That was absolutely terrifying and I feel really good about that.
As seen by Shan-Shan cackling through all the scenes she’s terrified at. 😂❤
Such an awesome movie. And excellent reaction. ❤
Andrew Kevin Walker wrote this movie.
I was working with his brother Ken when this movie was released. We were in the same dept at a tech firm.
I still remember the day he walked into work wearing a black jacket with SE7EN scrawled in red letters across the back. 😁
After this movie every time we received equipment delivered to the lab in a head sized box, I just wanted to yell, “What’s in the box?!” 😱
Awesme reaction! This is one movie I adore and yet can't stomach watching it again. It's so unsetteling. Thanks Shanelle!
5:41 - Tell me you're italian without telling me you're italian. Shanelle goes first. 😂